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M*A*S*H
Inspired by the film of the same name, M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) was an American television series that aired, in the USA, on CBS from September 17, 1972 to February 28, 1983 (spanning 251 episodes). The sitcom was about a team of medical workers stationed in Korea during the Korean War. Much like the movie that preceded it, it combined elements of comedy and a darker antiwar message. Although the Korean War is the storyline setting of both the TV series and the film that preceded it, the subtext for both is the Viet Nam War (WP) — a current event at the time the film, in particular, was made, and an event that still burned in the consciousness of all even a decade later when the series ended. Early seasons aired on network prime time while the Viet Nam War was still going on; the show was forced to walk the fine line of commenting on that war while at the same time not seeming to protest it. For this reason, the show's discourse, under the cover of comedy, often questioned, mocked, and grappled with America's role in the Cold War (WP). Characters The show featured Wikipedia:Alan Alda, who wrote and directed some of the most emotional and award winning episodes. Out of all the starring characters Hawkeye, Major Houlihan, Corporal Klinger and Father Mulcahy were the only ones in the show for its entire run. McLean Stevenson left the show at the end of the third season, and his character Henry Blake was discharged and sent home. In the final scene of his last episode it was reported that Blake's plane had been shot down and he was killed. Actor Wayne Rogers left the series after the end of season three due to disagreements about his character. The fourth season was in many ways a turning point for the entire series. At the beginning of the fourth series Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper's departure. At the same time, Colonel Sherman Potter was assigned to the unit as Commanding Officer, replacing Blake, while B.J. Hunnicut was drafted in as Trapper's replacement. The series, while still having an element of comedy, began to become more rounded emotionally. Major Houlihan's role continued to evolve during this time, she became much more friendly towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. Further changes were still in store for the series. Larry Linville left during the first episode of season six as Frank Burns suffered a break down and was promoted and transferred stateside away from the 4077th. Charles Winchester David Ogden Stiers was brought in because the producers still felt a need to play a role opposite of the other surgeons, but his relationships with the others was not anywhere near as acrimonious as Frank's was. Unlike Frank, Winchester was a very highly skilled surgeon whom the others respected professionally, but as a Boston "Blue Blood" was also a snobbish man. However, writers would sometimes allow Winchester's humanity to shine through - such as his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of one of his hands, or his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when the elder Dr. Pierce went into surgery 8000 miles away. By the eighth season, Gary Burghoff decided he was ready to move on. He said in an interview that he realized this when he was relaxing in his pool, and froze when he heard a plane fly overhead like his character would do on the show. A couple of episodes into season eight, Radar was discharged when a realative of his in Iowa died. After a rough start, Klinger took over Radar's post, the character thereafter enjoying a more prominent position in the series. Gary Burghoff (Radar O'Reilly) was the only M*A*S*H actor to reprise his role from the movie, retaining his extraordinary ability to detect the arrival of choppers transporting wounded long before anyone else could hear a thing. When Burghoff left the series, the company clerk role was taken up by Jamie Farr (Corporal (later Sergeant) Klinger, whose cross-dressing never got him the discharge he wanted). Minor characters A varied cast of minor characters also added color to the show, and these characters were remarkably fleshed out over the course of the series. Wikipedia:Gary Burghoff (Walter "Radar" O'Reilly) was one of two M*A*S*H actors to reprise his role from the movie, and the only main character (the other was Wikipedia:G. Wood as "General Hammond"). Radar retained his extraordinary ability to detect the arrival of choppers transporting wounded long before anyone else could hear a thing. Radar appeared to have a knack for Wikipedia:premonitions, could usually anticipate orders well enough to recite along as they were given, and kept the business end of the 4077th running extraordinarily smoothly. Burghoff left the series in 1979, and rather than adding a new character to replace him, the company clerk role was taken up by Wikipedia:Jamie Farr as Corporal (later Sergeant) Maxwell Q. Klinger, whose antics never got him the discharge he wanted. Radar's departure meant Klinger's (and Farr's) role was expanded, his attempts at being discharged were downplayed, and he almost never wore women's clothing anymore. (Klinger even shaped up well enough to get a promotion, and the camp counted on him as a "scrounger", who could obtain nearly anything.) Father Francis Sean Patrick Mulcahy (George Morgan in the pilot (who also appeared briefly in the 10th season episode "That's Show Biz") and later Wikipedia:William Christopher) was another regular character who developed well over the series. Klinger and Mulcahy, in fact, were listed as guest stars for the first few seasons of the show. Originally intended as an ensemble show, it became increasingly centered around Alan Alda's character, Hawkeye Pierce. The show survived many personnel changes, changing its tone over the years. Initially, it placed most of its emphasis on the "zany" elements, but later focused on more serious topics and character development; however, both the serious and the comedic sides were present throughout. Eventually much of the audience felt that the story lines became stale and the comedy dulled, though the show remained in the top of the ratings. Alda and his fellow actors voted to end the series with the 10th season, but CBS and 20th Century Fox offered the actors a shortened 11th season leading up to an opportunity for them to say goodbye in a grand finale. "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" thumb|375px|left|The famous "Goodbye" scene in the final episode. The final episode was titled "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" and was first broadcast on Wikipedia:February 28, Wikipedia:1983. The episode was 2½ hours long and was viewed by nearly 106 million Americans (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the most watched episode in television history, a record which stands Wikipedia:as of 2005. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A8447-2004May7&notFound=true The finale starts in the waning days of the war with Hawkeye in a Wikipedia:mental hospital, finally driven over the edge by a bus ride gone terribly wrong. The bus passengers, who were refugees, were in danger of being discovered and executed by a Wikipedia:North Korean patrol. Hawkeye scolds the refugees to be quiet but a baby begins to whimper and its mother responds by smothering the child. Hawkeye repressed this by replacing the memory of the baby with that of a chicken. Meanwhile, Dr. Winchester befriends a rag-tag bunch of Chinese musicians and teaches them to play Mozart's "Wikipedia:Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, K. 581". However, he later sees all the musicians killed and as a result Wikipedia:classical music, his number one solace during the war, becomes unpalatable to him. Klinger, known for constantly seeking a Section 8 discharge, decides to stay in Korea to be with his new wife, Soon Lee, and assist her in her search for her missing parents—even though he, like most of the soldiers, finally has his release papers. The final scene is between B.J. Hunnicutt and Hawkeye. Hunnicutt is unable to say goodbye and Hawkeye (now released from the hospital) mocks him for this failure. Both men lament that they will be on opposite sides of the country after they go home and conclude that they will probably never see each other again. They tearfully embrace for the last time and Hawkeye boards a Wikipedia:helicopter and lifts off. Hunnicutt rides off on a motorcycle and as the helicopter ascends Hawkeye sees a final message from his longtime friend spelled out with stones on the sandy soil, "GOODBYE." The message, of course, served a dual purpose: it was also a message from the creators of the series to its fans, saying "goodbye" after 11 years. As such, it is the last image shown on the screen before the final credits. Alda reportedly had a different idea for what to do for the finale: he wanted it to be a typical half-hour episode, at the end of which a Wikipedia:director would be heard saying "cut!" during a surgery scene, and crewmen would walk on the set and do what they normally did. Alda would then say to the camera "Well, for the last 12 years we tried to show you what war was like, but it's not as much fun." M*A*S*H was one of the most successful shows in TV history. It therefore isn't surprising that CBS wanted the franchise to continue. The cast voted by majority to end the series following the tenth season, but CBS and Wikipedia:20th Century Fox offered the actors a shortened eleventh season, permitting an opportunity for the show to have a grand finale. Hence was born After M*A*S*H, following the adventures of Colonel Potter, Max Klinger and Father Mulcahy in a Stateside hospital after the war. Initially popular, script problems and constant character changes led to a steep decline in viewers, and the show lasted a mere two seasons. It was not well regarded, and was quickly cancelled. Wikipedia:Trapper John, M.D. (which a court later ruled was actually a spin-off of the original film), and an unpurchased television pilot, Wikipedia:W*A*L*T*E*R, in which Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (played by Wikipedia:Gary Burghoff) joins the police force, followed. Main characters Full Series Run Characters Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Wikipedia:Alan Alda) - Rank: Captain; Chief Surgeon of the 4077th. Hawkeye is from Wikipedia:Crabapple Cove, Maine, and is equally skilled with wit and scalpel. Hawkeye was drafted into the war and despises every moment, although he tries to make as many good memories as possible between romancing the nurses, playing practical jokes on other members of the camp, and horsing around with his friends. He once described his role in Korea as: "...to pull bodies out of a sausage grinder, if possible without going crazy." Hawkeye, Trapper John and Frank Burns all share a tent, known as 'The Swamp'; his tentmates are later replaced by B.J. Hunnicut and Charles Winchester. Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy (Wikipedia:William Christopher) - Rank: Lieutenant, later promoted to Captain; chaplain of the 4077th. - Father Mulcahy is a sweet, mild-mannered, somewhat naive Catholic priest assigned to minister to the 4077th. Though he can be stern and implacable when necessary, Father Mulcahy prefers to embody the values of love, compassion, forgiveness and charity. When his time permits, Father Mulcahy also assists the local orphanages and charitable organizations attempting to care for the Korean children lost or displaced by the war. He taught boxing at his parish in the U.S. The role of Father Mulcahy was played by George Morgan in only the pilot episode; Christopher took over the role starting from the third episode. Margaret J. "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Wikipedia:Loretta Swit) - Rank: Major; Head Nurse. Once described by Charles as "part seductress and part Attila the Hun," Margaret is a career Army nurse from a military family (her father was retired Col. Alvin "Howitzer Al" Houlihan). Even when she thoroughly disapproves of their non-military behavior, Margaret still develops a fondness for the men and women around her and is highly protective of them, especially her nurses. Initially, Margaret ensconces herself in a torrid affair with the married Frank Burns, despite the fact that both adultery and fraternization are serious crimes under the Wikipedia:Uniform Code of Military Justice. Eventually, Margaret tires of Frank's petty, inept and callous behavior and, after a short courtship, marries Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscott. The marriage is short-lived, however, and they divorce. Margaret's character changes considerably over the course of the show, from a libinious, comic hypocrite to a sensitive, proud and intelligent woman. After the war, Margaret stays with the Army rather than continue her career in a civilian facility. Maxwell Q. Klinger (Wikipedia:Jamie Farr) - Rank: Corporal, later promoted to Sergeant; Company Clerk (after Radar's discharge) for the 4077th. ' Klinger is of Lebanese descent from Toledo, Ohio. Though he marries his high-school sweetheart Laverne Esposito via short-wave radio, she later has an affair while he is in Korea and they divorce. Klinger is best known for continually dressing in women's clothes, the more outrageous the better, in an attempt to gain a 'Section 8' (psychiatric) discharge. His campaign is easily seen through by Henry Blake and Sherman Potter, who indulge Klinger's wardrobe for amusement's sake. After Radar's departure, Klinger abandons the dresses and wears the green utilities sported by the other non-coms of the 4077th. Just before the war ends, Klinger falls in love with and marries a South Korean refugee named Soon-Yee; after all of his attempts to get out of Korea before the war is over, Klinger ends up staying after the cease-fire is effected to help Soon-Yee look for her parents in the refugee camps. Partial Run Characters 'John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre (Wikipedia:Wayne Rogers) (Seasons 1-3) - Rank: Captain; Surgeon. ' Trapper is Hawkeye's partner in crime, though his skills are never touted as highly as Hawkeye's. He is better remembered by the camp for his skill at practical jokes. When Wayne Rogers left the show over creative differences concerning Trapper's character development, it was written into the series that he received his discharge while Hawkeye was on leave following Henry Blake's death. He left no note or other form of goodbye for Hawkeye, (except for a kiss delivered via a relucant Radar) a surprising act of callousness towards a close companion which left Hawkeye profoundly upset. Even years later, when B.J. received his discharge and was not allowed time to leave a note, Hawkeye's reaction was founded in his initial dismay and hurt that Trapper did not bother to say goodbye. Some fans believe that this was done as an act of revenge by the writers and producers against Rogers, casting Trapper in an unsympathetic light in order to win audiences over to the new character of B.J. Hunnicutt. 'Henry Braymore Blake (Wikipedia:McLean Stevenson) (Seasons 1-3) - Rank: Lieutenant Colonel; Surgeon; Commanding Officer of the 4077th. ' Henry is a mild, occasionally uncertain, C.O. who runs the 4077th. A good surgeon but an in-over-his-head commanding officer, Henry turns a blind eye to all but the most egregious behavior of his subordinates, and allows Hawkeye and Trapper a fairly free rein; this proves to be a constant irritation to Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan, who are 'regular Army' and frequently demand that Henry rein in the madcap Trapper and Hawkeye (typically after the pair have pulled some outrageous stunt which humiliates one or both of them). In the final episode of the third season, Henry receives his discharge, but never makes it home. In a gut-wrenching moment of television history, the audience thinks Henry is returning to the U.S. safe and sound when Radar enters the O.R., looking utterly hollow and deflated: ''Trapper: Radar, put a mask on! '' ''Hawkeye: If that's my discharge, give it to me straight, I can take it. '' ''Radar: I have a message. Lieutenant Colonel... Henry Blake's plane... was shot down over the sea of Japan... it spun in... there were no survivors. '' The famous scene was made all the more stunning because the cast (with the exception of Alan Alda) hadn't been informed of this until just before the scene was to be shot, so their shock and dismay were their real reactions. After Radar's message is delivered, an unscripted clatter is heard as a cast member accidentally dropped a surgical instrument. The show's producers decided to leave it in the final cut, because it gave an even greater sense of realism to the shock and dismay felt by the characters. 'Franklin Marion "Ferret Face" Burns (Wikipedia:Larry Linville) (Seasons 1-5) - Rank: Major; Surgeon. Frank is a bumbling, egotistical, cowardly man whose poor skills as a surgeon are often panned or outright denigrated by others of the 4077th. Though married, he conducts an ongoing affair with Maj. Margaret Houlihan and pursues her even after she becomes engaged to Donald Penobscott. Frank's behavior ranges from the mildly annoying to the extremely offensive, from blindly patriotic and racist to patently self-serving. Margaret's marriage to Penobscott finally pushes Frank over the edge, and he goes on a delusional spree in Tokyo attempting to find her while she and Penobscott are on their honeymoon. Frank is eventually cleared of any criminal charges arising from his behavior, given a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, and sent to a veteran's hospital in Wikipedia:Indiana (much to the chagrin of Hawkeye). Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly (Wikipedia:Gary Burghoff) (Seasons 1-8) - Rank: Corporal; Company Clerk. Radar is the classic young Wikipedia:Iowa farm boy who is drafted into war and matures twice as fast on the battlefield than he ever would on the farm. Walter is called 'Radar' because of his sharp ear for choppers and his always accurate guesses on what Blake and later Potter will want from him next. Radar is in charge of all communications and requisitions for the 4077th, as well as acting as a secretary for the C.O. Radar's father died when he was young, and his Uncle Ed is his male role model until he arrives in Korea; Henry Blake was like a father to him, and Sherman Potter was a mentor/grandfatherly figure. Radar felt special hero-worship for Hawkeye until, when Radar is wounded and must himself undergo surgery, Hawkeye drinks so heavily that his hangover forces him to leave the O.R. in the middle of an operation. After a serious fight between them, Radar and Hawkeye mend their relationship, and Hawkeye becomes like another elder brother. When Radar's Uncle Ed dies, Radar is granted a hardship discharge and goes home to run the farm for his mother. (Note: Gary Burghoff was the only actor from the movie to repeat his role in the TV series.) Wikipedia:B.J. Hunnicutt (Wikipedia:Mike Farrell) (Seasons 4-11) - Rank: Captain; Surgeon. ' B.J. is drafted not long before he arrives at the 4077th, and is picked up in Seoul by Radar and Hawkeye, who were attempting to reach Trapper before he left for the States. B.J.'s senses are assaulted by the horrors of war almost from the moment he arrives, and he quickly bonds with Hawkeye. A quiet, fun-loving man, B.J. does not romance the nurses as Trapper had; he is happily married with a baby daughter, who had been born just before he was drafted. Though B.J. has what might be called an 'affair de coeur' with a nurse and a journalist while stationed in Korea, his steadfast loyalty to his wife and daughter are one of his defining characteristics, and make him an excellent counterpoint to Hawkeye's more licentious behavior. In one episode Hawkeye becomes obsessed with finding out what the letters "B.J." stand for, and eventually B.J. insists (perhaps jokingly) that he was named for his mother Bea and his father Jay. "What's the B.J. stand for?" "Anything you want." 'Sherman T. Potter (Wikipedia:Harry Morgan) (Season 4-11) - Rank: Colonel; Surgeon; Commanding Officer of the 4077th (after Henry Blake). Sherman Potter is a happily-married career military surgeon who is assigned to command the 4077th after Henry's discharge. Sherman's military career dates back to World War I, when he was a cavalry soldier (he started as an enlisted man, becoming a commissioned officer later in his career). Though Frank and Margaret initially expect that a regular Army man will impose more discipline on Hawkeye, Klinger and the other draftees, Sherman prefers to allow their horseplay because they are draftees rather than regular Army. He also finds their pranks amusing, although his patience has limits. During the war, Radar presents him with a horse for his wedding anniversary, which he names Sophie. After the war is over, Sherman donates Sophie to the orphanage near the camp and retires from the Army, determined to spend his remaining years with his wife, children, and grandchildren. He is an avid painter, and as the seasons progress his office becomes decorated with his quirky portraits of the hospital staff. Charles Emerson Winchester III (Wikipedia:David Ogden Stiers) (Seasons 6-11) - Rank: Major; Surgeon. Charles is the Head of Thoracic Surgery at Boston General Hospital. When he is initially drafted, he is stationed in Tokyo, but after beating Colonel Baldwin at Wikipedia:cribbage and taking him for $672.17, the colonel transfers Charles to the 4077th to replace the now-insane Frank Burns. Charles is from a wealthy Wikipedia:Boston family and deplores every aspect of camp life: "Know this: you can cut me off from the civilized world, you can incarcerate me with two moronic cellmates, you can torture me with your thrice daily swill, but you cannot break the spirit of a Winchester. My voice shall be heard from this wilderness and I shall be delivered from this fetid and festering sewer!" Eventually, Charles learns to accept life in the 4077th, as abysmal as he may find it, and makes do. While his relationship with his swamp bunkmates never loses its adversarial quality, they develop a strong if unspoken friendship. Just before leaving Korea, he meets a roving band of North Korean P.O.W. musicians and teaches them to play one of Mozart's quartets; they are subsequently killed in a bombing raid and Charles' attitude towards music is forever changed. A varied cast of minor characters also added color to the show, and these characters were remarkably fleshed out over the course of the series. Changes Wikipedia:McLean Stevenson was growing unhappy playing third scalpel to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers by the start of the third season. Midway through, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a 'Goodbye Henry' show, it was decided that Wikipedia:Henry Blake would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale. In the final scene of his last episode, "Abyssinia, Henry," Radar tearfully reports that Henry's plane had been shot down over the Wikipedia:Sea of Japan and he was killed. None of the cast (with the exception of Alda, who wrote the scene) knew about that development until a few minutes before Burghoff was told to go in and have Radar report that Blake had died. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind "M*A*S*H" pledged that no other characters would leave the show in tragic fashion. In a strange twist of fate, Stevenson died on Wikipedia:February 15, Wikipedia:1996; the following day, Wikipedia:Roger Bowen, who portrayed Henry Blake in the motion picture, passed away. Both actors died of a Wikipedia:heart attack. Wikipedia:Wayne Rogers (Wikipedia:Trapper John McIntyre) was planning on returning for Season Four, but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a "morals clause" on his contract renewal, but refused to do so. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to Wikipedia:McLean Stevenson, who decided to leave midway through Season Three. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda's character. Wikipedia:Mike Farrell (Rogers's replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus, which explains why there was no 'Goodbye Trapper' episode. As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for M*A*S*H. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper's departure, while Wikipedia:B.J. Hunnicutt was drafted in as Trapper's replacement. In the season's second episode, Wikipedia:Colonel Sherman T. Potter was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Blake. The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan's role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, Lieutenant Colonel Wikipedia:Donald Penobscot ("I could never love anyone who didn't outrank me"), but the union did not last for long. The "Hot Lips" nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the mid-way point in the series. In fact, Wikipedia:Loretta Swit wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on Wikipedia:Cagney & Lacey), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. Wikipedia:Larry Linville noted that his 'Frank Burns' character was easier to 'dump on' after head comedy writer Wikipedia:Larry Gelbart departed after Season Four. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he'd taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he'd signed a five-year contract originally and his fifth year was coming to an end, that he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a breakdown due to Margaret's marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank's parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying "I felt I had done everything possible with the character." A longtime smoker, Linville died of Wikipedia:cancer-related Wikipedia:pneumonia in April, 2000. Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III (Wikipedia:David Ogden Stiers) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an able physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid, "meatball surgery" was called for. Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a Boston "blueblood," he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show's writers would allow Winchester's humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, or his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye's father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The only characters to stay for the entire run were Hawkeye, Margaret, Klinger, and Father Mulcahy. "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" Main article: Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen thumb|200px|right|"Goodbye" written in stone "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" was the final episode of M*A*S*H. The episode aired on Wikipedia:February 28, Wikipedia:1983 and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million Americans (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the most watched episode in United States television history, a record which stands today. Change in Tone As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of "preaching" to its viewers. This has sometimes been connected with Wikipedia:Alan Alda taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal "Radar" O'Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters. Some fans prefer the more serious and dramatic tone of the later seasons over the more chaotic humor of the early years, though many fans still prefer those early years. While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. Wikipedia:Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons. In retrospect, the eleven years of M*A*S*H are generally split into two eras: the Wikipedia:Larry Gelbart/Wikipedia:Gene Reynolds "comedy" years (1972-1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978-1983). Facts *The series lasted eleven seasons, while the actual Korean War lasted only three years. *Many episodes were based on information from interviews by real life Korean War veterans, including doctors, nurses, soldiers, and helicopter pilots. Wikipedia:Burt Metcalfe later admitted that towards the end of the show much of their source material had dried up, with many new interviews only yielding past information, which hurt the show since it was locked in a specific time period. *Two episodes of M*A*S*H focused on interviews with the 4077th personnel. The interviewer in both of these episodes was Wikipedia:Clete Roberts, who was chosen for the part because he had been a Korean War correspondent in real life. *The character Spearchucker Jones was dropped after only a few episodes when research revealed that there were no black surgeons serving in the M*A*S*H units during the Korean War. Jones's bunk was left unclaimed (except by visiting officers) for the rest of the series. *In the first episode of the third season ("The General Flipped At Dawn" 9/10/74), Wikipedia:Harry Morgan made a guest appearance as a crazy Wikipedia:major general named Bartford Hamilton Steele who wants to move the 4077th unit closer to the front line. Fortunately, his request is ignored when it becomes apparent that he is mentally unstable. Specifically, at a preliminary hearing to a Wikipedia:court-martial, Steele requests that a black soldier break into a song-and-dance number, before doing so himself on the way out of the tent. At the end of the episode, Steele is promoted to Wikipedia:lieutenant general, transferred to Wikipedia:the Pentagon and placed in charge of operations for the entire Asian theater. A year later, Morgan joined the cast of M*A*S*H as the stern, by-the-book but decent, warmhearted Colonel Sherman Potter, replacing Wikipedia:McLean Stevenson's inept yet affable Henry Blake. At the time of filming the episode, it was well known to the cast and crew that Stevenson wanted to leave. After filming the episode, Morgan was offered the role of Potter. He said that he would if he was available. *Most of the doctors drafted into the MASH units were between the ages of 21 and 28, usually just out of medical school, chosen because they were young, were less likely to have families of their own and easy to control. In the novel, Hawkeye is 28 when he arrives at the unit in November 1951. Duke Forrest is a year older. On average, the doctors did one year's tour of duty and were then discharged. Almost all of the actors on M*A*S*H were over 30 when the series began and were well over 40 by the time the series ended. In one episode, Potter's comment that Hawkeye is okay except for being young seems doubly ironic, given that Alan Alda's black hair was starting to turn gray. *In the pilot episode 9/17/72, Trapper is seen wearing a red robe in the swamp while Hawkeye wears a bright orange kimono. In the next episode, Hawkeye inherited the red robe while Trapper took to wearing a yellow robe (ketchup and mustard), and the orange kimono is never seen again. B.J. Hunnicutt would wear a blue robe. *In "A Full Rich Day" 12/3/74, Colonel Blake refers to the public announcer as Tony. *Harry Morgan stated that Colonel Potter was one of his personal favorite characters and said he felt he could have "gone on forever" playing that character. When M*A*S*H ended, Morgan, Wikipedia:William Christopher and Wikipedia:Jamie Farr headlined a short lived spin-off titled Wikipedia:After MASH, which took place in Potter's home town of Wikipedia:Hannibal, Missouri, where Christopher and Farr assisted Morgan in the local hospital. *At the end of its first season, the show was 46th of 86 in the ratings. CBS responded by moving the show to Saturday night, between hits Wikipedia:All in the Family and Mary Tyler Moore. As a result, M*A*S*H would end the next nine of ten seasons in the top ten. *The show's theme song was "Wikipedia:Suicide is Painless" (by Wikipedia:Johnny Mandel), an instrumental version of the song (with lyrics by Wikipedia:Mike Altman) used in the film. Due to the nature of the lyrics, the producers could not use the original version for a television series theme. *In the TV series, Hawkeye Pierce is the unit's Chief Surgeon and a thoracic surgeon to boot. In the original book and film, however, "Trapper" John McIntyre is the unit's Chief Surgeon and thoracic surgeon. This change in Trapper's credentials, an essential part of his identity, was one of many signs that Trapper was being relegated to a sidekick and one of the reasons why Wikipedia:Wayne Rogers, who played Trapper, left the show after only three seasons. *B.J. Hunnicutt, Sherman Potter, and Charles Winchester all outlasted the characters they replaced: "Trapper" John McIntyre, Henry Blake, and Frank Burns, respectively. *Wikipedia:Alan Alda and Wikipedia:McLean Stevenson shared a medical book during the early seasons to maintain accuracy in their operating room performances. One day, Stevenson happened by a car accident with a bleeding victim on the side of the road and, drawing upon his research for the show, he was able to keep the victim alive until an ambulance arrived. *The producers wanted the show broadcast without a Wikipedia:laugh track, but were overruled by Wikipedia:CBS; eventually, as a compromise, the operating room scenes were shown without a laugh track. It was possibly as a protest that the show's producers wrote and shot an episode set entirely in the operating room ("O.R." 10/8/74), since the network-imposed laugh track was exempt from scenes filmed there. "O.R." as first seen in the Wikipedia:United Kingdom however, was broadcast by the Wikipedia:BBC without a laugh track, although the Paramount Comedy satellite channel later rescreened the series there in the U.S. version. The DVD releases offer a choice of soundtracks with or without laughter. As the series progressed, Alan Alda and the producers were allowed to produce a number of episodes without laugh tracks. One of the more notable of these episodes is "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler" 11/7/75, in which a bomber pilot believes he is Wikipedia:Jesus Christ. *Wikipedia:Gary Burghoff said in an interview that he realized it was time to leave the show when he was relaxing in his pool. He heard a plane fly overhead and froze, like his character would do on the show. In truth, he was seriously beginning to suffer from the early stages of burnout, which was taking a toll on him and his family life. Although Radar was only 18, Gary was nearly 30 when he was playing Radar. *When Gary Burghoff announced that he was leaving, Wikipedia:Mike Farrell tried to talk him out of it by pointing out the unsuccessful careers that Wikipedia:McLean Stevenson and Wikipedia:Larry Linville had when they left. *Gary Burghoff has a couple of fingers on his left hand that are smaller than normal. Realizing that it is unusual to get drafted with such a hand, Burghoff took great pains to conceal his hand from the cameras. *The "T" in Colonel Potter's name is never revealed, leaving fans to theorize that it could stand for anything from 'Thomas' to 'Timothy' to 'Tyler'. Harry Morgan himself admitted that he did not know what the "T" stood for, but once suggested that it could have stood for 'Wikipedia:Tecumseh'. *One of the most asked questions about the series is the name of Radar's Wikipedia:teddy bear. The series never revealed the bear's name, or even whether the bear has a name. When Radar is discharged, he leaves the teddy bear behind. The doll is buried in a Wikipedia:time capsule in the second to last episode of the series, "As Time Goes By" 2/21/83. *The cast actually did bury a time capsule on the set in the hopes that it would be found many years after the series ended. This plan was thwarted when Wikipedia:20th Century Fox sold the land shortly after the series ended. A construction worker found the capsule soon after the sale and thought that the cast would want it back. When he tried to return it to them, Alan Alda told him to keep it. http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html *In the series finale, Dr. Sidney Freedman repeats a line from one of his first appearances: "Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice: pull down your pants, and slide on the ice." *Whenever a character left, the producers intentionally filled the gap with a character who was wholly dissimilar from his predecessor: ** Wikipedia:Trapper John McIntyre, every bit as much a womanizer and prankster as Hawkeye, was replaced by B.J. Hunnicutt, a devoted family man who tended to take life in stride (though he had a knack for practical jokes). ** Lt. Colonel Blake, a buffoonish but likable and friendly draftee placed in charge of the M*A*S*H, was replaced by Colonel Potter, a career soldier who commanded a great deal of respect from the 4077th. ** Major Burns, an incompetent doctor and rather unintelligent person in general, but fiercely loyal to the military, was replaced by stuffy Bostonian draftee Major Charles Emerson Winchester. Winchester was not only a highly skilled surgeon, but frequently outwited Pierce and Hunnicut, as well as showing more humanity than they gave him credit for having. Also, unlike Burns Winchester had no great love for his posting at the 4077th or the military, and was looking forward to the day when he could return home to "civilization." ** Radar O'Reilly began the series as a wise-to-the-ways-of-the-Army-and-the-world teenage boy who was forced to become a man by the war (the way the character was portrayed in the book and feature film). By Season 2, however, the writers transformed Radar into a pure and innocent midwestern youngster with an unflappable ability to keep the M*A*S*H running like a well-oiled machine. This incarnation was replaced (in his job function) with Maxwell Klinger, who was already well known to lie and scheme on a daily basis and who was the epitome of disorder, but learned to handle the day-to-day affairs of the unit tolerably well, though never up to the standard set by Radar. *Unlike many other series where characters that left the show are never referred to again, Wikipedia:Henry Blake, Trapper, Wikipedia:Frank Burns and Radar O'Reilly were referred to from time to time in the rest of the series. *Hawkeye (Wikipedia:Alan Alda) is the only character to appear in all 251 episodes, by virtue of the episode fittingly titled "Hawkeye" 1/13/76, in which none of the other characters appear. The episode consists of Hawkeye doing a monologue while in the home of a Korean family, to avoid falling unconscious after suffering a Wikipedia:concussion. *Wikipedia:McLean Stevenson, who played Lt. Col. Wikipedia:Henry Blake, died of a Wikipedia:heart attack on Wikipedia:15 February Wikipedia:1996. The next day, Wikipedia:Roger Bowen, who played Lt. Col. Henry Blake in the movie, died of the same cause. *Wikipedia:Loretta Swit and Wikipedia:Alan Alda were the only two actors who appeared in the first and last episodes of the series. Their two characters, along with Father Mulcahy, all appear in both episodes; however, Mulcahy was played by George Morgan in the pilot, while being played by Wikipedia:William Christopher for the rest of the series. *The series was groundbreaking in its use of language, being one of the first network series, and certainly the first comedy series, to allow the phrase "son-of-a-bitch" in dialogue. *Nearly all the stars of M*A*S*H have guest starred on Wikipedia:Murder, She Wrote, Wikipedia:The Love Boat, and [[Wikipedia:Pyramid (game show)|''Pyramid]]. *The piece of music Charles is teaching to the Chinese musicians in the last episode is the ''Quintet for Clarinet and Strings (K. 581) by Wikipedia:Mozart. *In the episode "Edwina" 12/24/72, the female nurses refuse to be intimate with the men unless one of the men date clumsy nurse Edwina. Yet in other episodes, nearly all the nurses refuse to date Radar. Of course, all the women nurses were officers while Radar was an enlisted man. An episode where Radar DID date a nurse led to possible court martial but ended in transfer of the nurse. *Radar usually pursued nurses who are not interested, yet on at least two occasions (episodes "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" 10/12/76 and "Springtime" 10/14/74), Radar turns chicken when faced with a woman who wants to get romantic. *We never knew if Radar's Uncle Ed was his mother's (Mrs. O'Reilly's) brother or brother-in-law. *On March 30, 1981, American President Wikipedia:Ronald Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt. CBS covered the story until Reagan was safely out of surgery, resuming regular programming at 9 p.m. Eastern time. The M*A*S*H episode scheduled to air in that time slot, "The Life You Save", involved Major Winchester having a close brush with death when a sniper's bullet passes through his hat. Because of the uncomfortable similarity of the plot to the real-life assassination attempt, CBS hastily substituted a repeat of an earlier episode, and "The Life You Save" was finally broadcast on May 4th, 1981. *Wikipedia:Richard Hooker, who wrote the novel that inspired both the film and television versions of MASH, did not like the TV series version of his book. In particular, he did not care for Alan Alda's portrayal of Hawkeye Pierce (though he did respect Alda's abilities as an actor). Wikipedia:Robert Altman, who directed the film, also greatly disliked the series, complaining that what his film accomplished through subtle humor, the TV series assaulted with loud, obvious speeches, thus defeating the purpose of depicting people acting absurdly to stay sane against an insane setting. *Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan was based on a real life Korean War Head Nurse known as Hot Lips Hammerly, also a very attractive blonde with a similar personality and also from Wikipedia:El Paso, Texas. *Captain Duke Forrest, who appeared in the original book and in the film was played by Wikipedia:Tom Skerritt, never appeared in the TV series. He was intentionally left out in order to keep from having too many characters crowding the screen. He was mentioned in passing in the episode Life with Father as having already been discharged and gone back to the US. This may be why Duke was not used as Trapper John's replacement when Wayne Rogers decided to leave the series, but the actual reason is unknown. *After the news of Lt. Col. Blake's death shocked the world, the very next night on Wikipedia:The Carol Burnett Show, the opening shot was of Wikipedia:McLean Stevenson in a smoking raft, waving his arms, hollering, "I'm OK! I'm OK!" *In the pilot episode, Henry Blake wears his vest over his army green shirt; this is the only episode which he does. *In one of the last season episodes, a Wikipedia:North Korean pilot defects while the conflict still goes on. A NKP did defect, but that was in September Wikipedia:1953-which was 2 months after the July Wikipedia:1953 cease-fire. *Another of the 11th season episodes was when Hawkeye crashes into the Peace talks to get them going again and the top U.S. negotiator is an Admiral. At the time of the July Wikipedia:1953 cease-fire the top U.S. negotiator was Army General Wikipedia:Mark Wayne Clark. *A last season episode has the PA announce about the French besieged at Wikipedia:Dien Bien Phu; that happened in Wikipedia:1954. *"A Full Rich Day" 12/3/74 featured a gun-toting Wikipedia:GI forcing doctors to operate on his wounded officer. A similar incident actually happened in the Wikipedia:World War II during Wikipedia:Operation Market Garden, and is depicted in the movie Wikipedia:A Bridge Too Far (in a role played by Wikipedia:James Caan). *In John Melady's history of Canadians in the Korean War, one Canadian doctor related that he provided notes for the series writers based on his experiences with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in Korea. However, not only were his notes never used, his only contribution to the show was when the creators used his name as the name of a fictional US Army general who has a side of beef stolen by the 4077 staff in one episode. *Canadians are mentioned in at least two episodes; the pilot, when Hawkeye mentions that helicopters are bringing in "wounded Canadians", and a later episode in which Klinger barters with a soldier named "Turnbull" (Wikipedia:Charles Hallahan) from Wikipedia:Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. DVD Releases thumb|200px|M*A*S*H Season 11 DVD Cover Art Trivia *Author Wikipedia:Paulette Bourgeois credits an episode of M*A*S*H in which character Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce was afraid of being in a dark cave as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series Franklin. *Wikipedia:Glen Charles and Wikipedia:Les Charles the creators of Cheers started their careers in television by writing "The Late Captain Pierce" (episode 404) and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series. Actress Spring Byington's photo was used as the photo of Mildred Potter, Colonel Potter's wife. From September 1978-September 1979, CBS aired reruns of the show in its daytime lineup at 3:30pm (EST). Alan Alda is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. Continuity errors and anachronisms :TV show budgets didn't use to stretch to historians, and the situation was exacerbated by the fact that the series was a satire of the Viet Nam War, so in a way it was never really about the Korean War at all Both the first and last episodes have errors: *The Premier episode gives a date of June, 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the Wikipedia:Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry - did not arrive in Korea until Wikipedia:December, Wikipedia:1950. Also MASH ignores the fact of the retreat to the Wikipedia:Pusan Perimeter in June-Dec 1950. MASH receives an fictitious 4th class Certificate of Merit for treating wounded. In actually they would have received an Wikipedia:Presidential Unit Citation. *The last episode gives a date of Wikipedia:July 27, Wikipedia:1953, when a group of Chinese POWs befriended by Major Winchester are killed while going to be exchanged. POW exchanges began in Wikipedia:August, Wikipedia:1953. Dr Freedman remarkes to a wounded GI that most people think Wikipedia:I Love Lucy is real-while this TV comedy was on during the Wikipedia:Korean War it did not become well known until the mid 1950's. Also the PA remarks on the French at Wikipedia:Dien Bien Phu a battle which did not begin until March-May 1954!. The series also had timeline errors: *In 1/3 & 1/4 MASH 4077 superior officer is General Wilson Spalding Barker. In 4/16 his name is given as General Bradley Barker. {Ironicaly Wikipedia:Sorrell Brooke who played Barker in 1/3 & 1/4 was a realWikipedia:Korean War Veteran!} Also an early epsiodes tell that MASH 4077 was under the jurisdiction of Wikipedia:US I Corps-when it fact "I Corps" fought at the Wikipedia:Pusan Perimeter and North and Central Korea throughout 1950-1953. It was not at the western end of the Wikipedia:DMZ until the last year of the war. *In 1/12 Hawkeye descends as Santa Claus to a foxhole to treat wounded soldiers. This epsiode ignores November/December 1950 was the coldest in Korea and epsiode was filmed in sumertime; also figthing at this time was at the Wikipedia:Chosin Reservoir-not the Wikipedia:DMZ. *Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the Wikipedia:Korean War, yet, in 1/17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2/23 Hawkeye remarks this is his second War. In 3/16, Trapper's daughter is 7 Years old (1951/1952-7=1944/1945}, and in an episode, Wikipedia:Frank Burns remarks that he was been a surgeon for 12 years {since 1938-1940{?}. In episode 4/3 Houilian has been in the service 10 years {1952-10=1942}. Likewise Winchester graduated from Medical University {Harvard 1943} during World War II; assuming a 4 year residence-he would presumedly had to have undtertaken a compulsory Wikipedia:ROTC as well. Thus Houilian and either HAweye, Trapper, Burns or Winchester would have been old enough to have been in World War II. *The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb 1/20, takes place after the {first} Christmas 1950 (1/13). In fact, the Wikipedia:Army Navy Game took place before Christmas. Thus in the real timeline the Propaganda bomb would have taken place in Wikipedia:December, Wikipedia:1951. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game, when the real 53rd game was played in 1953. The Propaganda leafets are signed by Wikipedia:Douglas MacArthur who was relieved from command Wikipedia:April 11, Wikipedia:1951 - 8 months before Wikipedia:December, Wikipedia:1951. {For the Record NAvy Beat Army 1950-1952!} *In 1/21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie Wikipedia:Bonzo Goes to College - a film that wasn't made until Wikipedia:1952. *In 2/4 has mention of the 248th Artillery Unit; 2/20 has mention of the 278th Artillery Unit; 3/4 has mention of the 73rd Field Artillery Battalion. The 73rd, 248th, 278th Field Artillery Battalions were Wikipedia:World War II formations. *In 2/9 Hawkeye and Trapper repeat the Wikipedia:urban legend in regard to death of Dr. Wikipedia:Charles Drew. *In 2/11, mention is made of a Wikipedia:Nobel Prize winner, which would place the date as Wikipedia:December 10,, Wikipedia:1951. In 2/15, reference is made to Wikipedia:Douglas MacArthur being in command in Tokyo, and in 3/21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command Wikipedia:April 11, Wikipedia:1951. Also, while he visited the Korean front, January-March 1951, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houlihan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the Wikipedia:Huks; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA. Likewise in a "Dear Dad" episode date is given as "May" "1951" and MASH still stationed at Wikipedia:Uijeongbu near Wikipedia:Seoul;-in fact Wikipedia:Uijeongbu and Wikipedia:Seoul fell to the Chinese in Wikipedia:January, Wikipedia:1951. In 3/6 reference is made to Wikipedia:Spring -making it Wikipedia:1951 yet in 3/13 mention is made of Wikipedia:Ted Williams being in the service-which would make it Wikipedia:1952-likewise in 3/14 a Greek Unit celebrates Wikipedia:Easter which is held in April-in the real timeline this would have taken place in Wikipedia:1951--despite date implied in 3/13! *In 2/15, a general's wounded son is in the Wikipedia:Paratroops and in 5/7 Colonel Flagg almost has an Airborne Division dropped behind enemy lines to search for "missing" Major Houilian {She is actually delivering a baby down the road}. Of the four Wikipedia:1950's Airborne units, only one - the Wikipedia:187th Infantry Regiment Wikipedia:R.C.T. - was in the Korean conflict 1950-1951; not 1952-1953 and was not stationed near Wikipedia:Seoul. The Wikipedia:11th Airborne Division, Wikipedia:82nd Airborne, and Wikipedia:101st Airborne were not deployed into the Wikipedia:Korean War. *In 2/21 and 3/23 Frank Burns carries a Wikipedia:M1 Garand rifle; in Wikipedia:Korean War normally officers carried only Wikipedia:pistols or Wikipedia:carbines. An Exception was during Wikipedia:World War II when rifles were carried by Airborne Generals Wikipedia:James M. Gavin and Wikipedia:Matthew Ridgeway. *In 3/2 and 5/25 the Chinese exchange wounded POWS with MASH. This exchange actually happened April 20 -May 3''1953''! *In 3/4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in actuality, the only amphibious landings were at Wikipedia:Inchon in November, 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was Wikipedia:Walton Walkerin a road accident - not in a MASH unit. *In 3/5 an Wikipedia:Ethiopian soldier is treated at MASH; Ethiopian battalions were attached to the Wikipedia:7th Infantry Division (United States) 1951-1953; however the 7th Division was not stationed near the Wikipedia:DMZ until 1953; also the Wikipedia:PA announces the appointment of General Wikipedia:Mark Wayne Clark on Wikipedia:May 12, Wikipedia:1952. *In 3/6 Radar remarks he wants to see Wikipedia:Son of Godzilla-a 1967 Movie! *In 3/10 the MASH truck that brings the nurses back is supposedly of the MASH 4077-yet the unit ID is that of the MASH 8063! *In 3/12 a Lt forces the Doctors to treat his badly wounded Sgt. This incident actually happened-in April 1944 during the Battle of Wikipedia:Operation Market Garden! *In 3/13 Hawkeye remarks about Wikipedia:Godzilla-which wouldn't be made until Wikipedia:1954! *In 3/16 the PA announces Wikipedia:Dwight Eisenhower pledge to go to Korea if elected. Eisenhower made this pledge Oct 24, 1952 and became President on January 20, 1953. *In 3/23 the medic claims he belongs to the US 415th Infantry Regiment-an Wikipedia:World War II formation! *In 4/1 HAwkeye claims he and Trapper John were roommates for a year-yet in the Pilot 1/1 Hawkeye and Trapper are'' both'' waiting for the wounded in June 1950 (1950+1=1951) making it June 1951. In just one episode after the two parter in 4/3 Potter arrives to take command it is September 1952!; Yet quotation at the beginning of 4/1 -and announced in 3/16- from Eisenhower's Pledge to go Korea-was made in Oct 1952! Frank Burns incompent reign as "acting C.O." apparently lasted 1 week{remark by Hunnicut in 4/7}. Likewise Hunnicut's medical training is implied to have been at Wikipedia:Stanford University-yet the article on the Wikipedia:Stanford University School of Medicine clearly tells that the Stanford Medical School {formerly Cooper Medical College}did not become part of Stanford until 1959! *In 4/3 Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in Wikipedia:September 19th, Wikipedia:1952; yet when in 4/13 Potter remarks about Wikipedia:West Point cadets being expelled-which occured in 1951 and in 10/7 Potter reads about the marriage of Wikipedia:Al Capp's Wikipedia:Lil Abner and Daisey Mae-which happened in Wikipedia:March Wikipedia:1952! In 4/15 Radar remarks about Wikipedia:Syngman Rhee being elected again-which happened in Wikipedia:May, Wikipedia:1952! Furthermore in {7/#2} Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US Admiral Joy {while US Admiral Wikipedia:C. Turner Joy was Chief negotiator from July 1951-the last Chief negotiator was US Army General Wikipedia:Mark Clark in 1953 - whom Hawkeye would have seen and not Admiral Joy.} Also two Potter episodes are 8/17 the British Wikipedia:Gloucestershire Regiment and in 10/15 a segregated US unit-apparently the Wikipedia:24th Infantry Regiment (United States)-are shown; but these two units were in the Wikipedia:Korean War in 1950-1951 not 1952-1953. *In 4/5 President Wikipedia:Dwight Eisenhower's vist to Wikipedia:Korean War occured in Wikipedia:December, Wikipedia:1952. Yet in 4/8 Potter refers to President as Wikipedia:Harry S Truman and in 10/5 HAwkeye tries to send a letter to President Wikipedia:Truman! Likewise Hawkeye courtmartial is in Wikipedia:October, Wikipedia:1952 in 4/21! Furthermore Houilhan wedding 6/1 occurs after Dec 1952 {4/5}; in 6/20 Houilhan beleives she's pregnant-since a real pregnancy would show up 9 months-if the storyline was differnt Houilian would have been Pregnant in Sept 1953! *In 4/6 Burns claims he was told he had the makings of a tank crewman at Wikipedia:Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Benning is a Infantry Training center-while the Wikipedia:US 2nd Armored Division was founded there in 1940, by post World War II the 2nd Armor was stationed at Wikipedia:Fort Hood, Wikipedia:Texas; the US Tank Colonel wears the insignia of the Wikipedia:U.S. 1st Cavalry Division which was only in Korea from June 1950 to January 1952 {which contridicts epsiode 4/5 of December 1952 above} and which also fought in Wikipedia:Pusan Perimeter not the 1953 Wikipedia:DMZ; the British Officer of the Wikipedia:York and Lancaster Regiment was with the 27th-not the 29th-Commonwealth Brigade. {In 6/23 the I Corps Officer was sent to MASH by a Armored tank Colonel-yet the only tank units in Korean War was the Wikipedia:U.S. 1st Cavalry Division! *In 4/7, the North Korean POW gives up a Wikipedia:MP40; In Korea the Chinese and North Koreans used a Wikipedia:PPSH-41. At this late date the UN forces were figthing the Chinese. ALso the POW-and a North Korean Guerilla in 4/17- is wearing a Brown uniform-in Korea Chinese and North Koreans wore a "Quilted Uniform". Potter remarks on being a World War I POW and also on the "1st Cavalry"-presumedly his old outfit-if the Wikipedia:1st Cavalry Regiment (United States) is ment the 1st Cavalry Regiment was not oversees in Wikipedia:World War I. *In 4/9 Potter and Flagg refer to the deranged airman's unit as either B-29 420th or 428th Bomb Squadron. The 420th was a Wikipedia:World War II Night Figther Squadron which was consolidated in 1945 & on 8 Dec 1953 became the 420th Air Refuling Squadron. The 428th Figther Bomber Squadron flew Wikipedia:F-84s! *In 4/14, the antique cavalry 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 Wikipedia:M1917 revolver. And Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is a sly reference to a Wikipedia:1964 Wikipedia:Peter Sellers movie. *In 4/17 Potter is wounded in the backside by a sniper's bullet and is up and about in no time; in real life Potter-and every other single member of MASH who have suffered injuries/illness/operations (Blake; Burns; Pierce; Trapper John; Houlihan; Radar; Klinger, Mulcahy, Winchester}-would have had to undergo a few weeks convalesce. The only major MASH member not injured/illness/operations are BJ. ALso Klinger apparently refers to UN General Wikipedia:Matthew Ridgeway who was in Korean War April 1951 to May 1952. *In 4/18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of (The Avengers) published by (Marval Comics) in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September,1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marval was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between the shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (One with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo). *In 4/24 the Wikipedia:Chinese Army enter the Wikipedia:Korean War-which they did Wikipedia:OCtober 25,, Wikipedia:1950-not 1952 or 1953! *In 5/2 Klinger claims he has spent 3 Years of his life building up his "Klinger Collection." Apparently the 3 years in Korea are meant, since even before his first appearance 1/4 he began wearing dresses. Thus according to the real life timeline would make the year 1953--although the only time a MASH unit near Seoul would have become the front lines was during the North Korean offensive of Wikipedia:June 24 to Wikipedia:August 4, Wikipedia:1950. *in 5/16 the two navy officers are from the Wikipedia:USS Essex (CV-9). HOwever the USS Essex was stationed off the East coast of Korea-not off the west coast of Korea where Wikipedia:Seoul is located. As noted above an exchange of wounded is mentioned-which happened April-May 1953 by which time the USS Essex was no longer in Korea. *In 5/23 Burns is seen putting the Korean antique into a box, closing the lid and taking the box to a mailbag. When Hawkeye & B.J. retrieve the box, the top has been tied down with string! Also Potter remarks on a rival officer as having been stationed with him at Wikipedia:Camp Grant apparently during Wikipedia:World War I and in 5/24 Potter Claims to have been in at Wikipedia:Camp Grant for two years; these claims are Wikipedia:inconstant with Potter's claim of having served in the Wikipedia:US Cavalry-Camp Grant was for training infantry! *In 5/24 a Wikipedia:Puerto Rican is a patient apparently from the Wikipedia:65th Infantry Regiment (United States); the 65th Infantry fought in North and Central parts of Korea. *In 6/11, Potter holds an Olympics with the 1952 Olympic games-which were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4/2. *In 6/21 Pierce meets another Captain "B.F. Pierce"; however in 4/5 Hawkeye was mistakenly reported dead after another Captain "B.F. Pierce" was killed. *In 7/13 and 9/5 a Christmas 1950 episode is repeated-despite it having already been shown in 1/13. Furthermore Wikipedia:Boxing Day is held the day after Christmas-yet episode isn't shown after 9/5 until 10/23. *In 8/13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the Wikipedia:Royal Australian Regiment was not stationed near Wikipedia:Seoul. *In 9/6, Potter welcomes the Wikipedia:New Year of Wikipedia:1951. {In 11/16-The finale, set at the end of the war in summer 1953, has the characters of Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years.} In Wikipedia:comic relief Winchester and Klinger lose bets when the Wikipedia:Brooklyn Dodgers lost the Wikipedia:October 3, Wikipedia:1951 Wikipedia:World Series-despite the fact in 4/2 of President Eisenhower's Wikipedia:December, Wikipedia:1952 Korean vist!! *In 11/3 a North Korean Pilot defects and ends up in MASH 4077; in realty a NKP did defect-in September, 1953! *In 11/7 Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to sell their Missouri house, buy a Florida houseboat and learn Wikipedia:scuba. Scuba was not taught in the US until 1954. *In 11/8, Hawkwye and B.J see a movie banned in Boston, Wikipedia:The Moon is Blue. In actuality, Wikipedia:The Moon is Blue premiered in the US in July, 1953. *From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the Wikipedia:1st Marine Division were only in the Seoul area only from Sept-Dec 1950 *In the first season Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," and in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child. *Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, never smokes or drinks, and is shy with women. Unique and Unusual Episodes The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical Wikipedia:sitcom or Wikipedia:dramedy plot. Some of these episodes include: *''Hawkeye'', in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute Wikipedia:monologue in an attempt to remain Wikipedia:conscious. *''Point of View'', in which a single camera represents the Wikipedia:point of view of a patient who arrives by chopper, is operated on and spends the episode in post-op. *The letter episodes, which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad (Dear Dad 1, 2, and 3''; Radar writes to his mother ''Dear Ma; Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud (Dear Sigmund); Potter writes to his wife (Dear Mildred); Klinger writes to his Uncle (Dear Uncle Abdul); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun (Dear Sis); Winchester "writes" home (The Winchester Tapes); and Winchester's houseboy {and NKP spy!} writes to his own army unit (Dear Comrade). *''The Interview'', which is a sort of Wikipedia:mockumentary about the 4077th (and in which the actors partially improvised their responses to the interviewer's questions). *''Life Time'', which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time). *''Follies of the Living - Concerns of the Dead , in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him. *''Dreams, in which the Wikipedia:dreams of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. Regular Characters Note: Arranged alphabetically by actor. Years in parentheses mark when the character appeared on the show; those without years were on the show for the entire series. *Wikipedia:Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce *Wikipedia:Gary Burghoff as Corporal Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly (Wikipedia:1972–Wikipedia:1979) * *Wikipedia:William Christopher as 1st Lieutenant/Captain John Patrick Francis Mulcahy, Chaplain ** (see below) *Wikipedia:Jamie Farr as Corporal/Sgt. Maxwell Q. Klinger *Wikipedia:Mike Farrell as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt (Wikipedia:1975–Wikipedia:1983) *Wikipedia:Larry Linville as Major Franklin Delano/Marion Burns (Wikipedia:1972–Wikipedia:1977) *Wikipedia:Harry Morgan as Colonel Sherman T. Potter (Wikipedia:1975–Wikipedia:1983) *Wikipedia:Wayne Rogers as Captain "Trapper" John Francis Xavier McIntyre (Wikipedia:1972–Wikipedia:1975) *Wikipedia:McLean Stevenson as Lt. Col. Henry Braymore Blake (Wikipedia:1972–Wikipedia:1975) *Wikipedia:David Ogden Stiers as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III (Wikipedia:1977–Wikipedia:1983) *Wikipedia:Loretta Swit as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan * The only regular character portrayed by the same actor as in the film version. ** Played by George Morgan in the pilot episode. Father Mulcahy was also referred to by his middle name Francis, and in the final episode recites his name as "Francis John Patrick Mulcahy" to Klinger in case he wants to name any children after him. Recurring Characters The M*A*S*H series frequently used recurring characters, as either supporting staff or visitors to the 4077th. While they were not given "star" credit, their familiarity to the viewers is an integral ingredient to the success of the show. *Wikipedia:Patrick Adiarte as Wikipedia:Ho-Jon (first season) *Wikipedia:Allan Arbus as Major Sidney Theodore Freedman, M.D., a Wikipedia:psychiatrist frequently summoned in cases of Wikipedia:mental health problems *Wikipedia:G.W. Bailey as Staff Sgt. Luther Rizzo, the lazy head of the camp's motor pool *Wikipedia:Sorrell Booke as Brigadier General Barker (first season) *Timothy Brown as Captain Dr. Oliver Harmon "Spearchucker" Jones (first season) *Joshua Bryant as Private/Sergeant Jack Scully, a grizzled combat veteran who has a fling with Houlihan *Wikipedia:Roy Goldman as Corpsman Roy Goldman *Wikipedia:Odessa Cleveland as Nurse Ginger Ballis *Wikipedia:Johnny Haymer as Staff Sgt. Zelmo Zale, the supply sergeant *Wikipedia:Enid Kent as Nurse Bigelow *Wikipedia:Jeff Maxwell as Pvt. Wikipedia:Igor Straminsky, a not terribly bright mess tent assistant and officers' club bartender *Wikipedia:Linda Meiklejohn as Lt. Leslie Scorch *Wikipedia:Kellye Nakahara as Nurse Keilani Kellye, the most prominent recurring nurse character below Major Houlihan *Wikipedia:John Orchard as "Ugly" John (first season), an Wikipedia:Australian Wikipedia:anesthesiologist *Wikipedia:Karen Philipp as Lieutenant Maggie "Dish" Schneider (first season) *Wikipedia:Peter Riegert as Wikipedia:Igor Straminsky in two episodes in 1977 *Wikipedia:Marcia Strassman as Nurse Margie Cutler (first season) *Wikipedia:Todd Susman as the P.A. System Announcer (voice only) *Wikipedia:Dennis Troy as various corpsmen/drivers/MPs *Wikipedia:Sal Viscuso as the P.A. System Announcer (voice only) *Wikipedia:Loudon Wainwright III as Captain Calvin Spalding (third season only) *Wikipedia:Edward Winter as Lt.Col./Col. Sam Flagg, a borderline mad U.S. intelligence agent *Wikipedia:G. Wood as Brigadier General Hamilton Hammond (first season) *Wikipedia:Herb Voland as Brigadier General Crandall Clayton *Multiple actors (Wikipedia:Beeson Carroll, Wikipedia:Mike Henry) as Lt. Col. Donald Penobscott *Multiple actresses (Wikipedia:Jean Powell, Wikipedia:Linda Kelsey, Wikipedia:Lynnette Mettey, Wikipedia:Lynne Marie Stewart) as Nurse Baker *Multiple actresses (Wikipedia:Judy Farrell, Wikipedia:Kellye Nakahara, Wikipedia:Sherry Steffens) as Nurse Abel/Able *Multiple actresses (Wikipedia:Shizuko Hoshi, Wikipedia:Frances Fong, Wikipedia:Eileen Saki) as Rosie of Rosie's Bar, a popular eating and drinking establishment close to the camp *Multiple actresses as Nurse Craddie, a tough middle-aged woman -- a kind of female Sherman Potter -- who ran first a clinic, then an orphanage, for Korean children and unwed mothers Notable Guest Stars *Wikipedia:Anthony Alda, brother of Wikipedia:Alan Alda, in "Lend a Hand" (episode 820) *Wikipedia:Robert Alda, father of Wikipedia:Alan Alda, as "Dr. Anthony Borelli" in "The Consultant" (episode 317) and "Lend a Hand" (episode 820) *Wikipedia:Joan van Ark as "Lt. Erika Johnson" in "Radar's Report" (episode 203) *Wikipedia:Ned Beatty as "Col. Hollister" in "Dear Peggy" (episode 410) *Wikipedia:Ed Begley, Jr. as "Pvt. Paul Conway" in "Too Many Cooks" (episode 801) *Wikipedia:Andrew Dice Clay as "Cpl. Hrabosky" in "Trick or Treatment" (episode 1102) *Wikipedia:Barry Corbin as "Sgt. Joe Vickers" in "Your Retention Please" (episode 907) *Wikipedia:James Cromwell as "Bardonaro" in "Last Laugh" (episode 603) *Wikipedia:Blythe Danner as "Carlye Breslin Walton" in "The More I See You" (episode 422) *Wikipedia:Brian Dennehy as "M.P. Ernie Connors" in "Souvenirs" (episode 522) *Wikipedia:Laurence Fishburne as "Corporal Dorsey" in "The Tooth Shall Set You Free" (episode 1014) *Wikipedia:Ed Flanders as "Lt. Bricker" in "Yankee Doodle Doctor" (episode 106) *Wikipedia:Teri Garr as "Lieutenant Suzanne Marquette" in "The Sniper" (episode 210) *Wikipedia:Charles Hallahan as "Colin Turnbull" in "Taking the Fifth" (episode 909) *Wikipedia:Gregory Harrison as "Lt. Tony Baker" in "The Nurses" (episode 505) *Wikipedia:Mariette Hartley as "Dr. Inga Halverson" in "Inga" (episode 716) *Wikipedia:Edward Herrmann as "Capt. Steven J. Newsome" in "Heal Thyself (episode 181) *Ron Howard as "Private Wendell Peterson" in "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" (episode 117) *Robert Ito as "Lin" in "To Market to Market" (episode 102) *Wikipedia:Makoto Iwamatsu (aka Wikipedia:Mako) as "Dr. Lin Tam" in episode: "Rainbow Bridge" (episode 303), as "Major Choi" in episode: "Hawkeye Get Your Gun" (episode 510), as "Lt. Hung Lee Park" in episode: "Guerilla My Dreams" (episode 803) and as "Li Chan" in episode: "The Best of Enemies" (episode 901) *Wikipedia:Alex Karras as "Lyle Wesson" in "Springtime" (episode 306) *Wikipedia:Bruno Kirby as "Pvt. Lorenzo Boone" in "Pilot" (episode 101) *Wikipedia:Mary Kay Place as "Louise" in "Springtime" (episode 306) *Wikipedia:Clyde Kusatsu as "Kwang Duk" in "Officers Only" (episode 215) and in "Henry in Love" (episode 216), as "Sgt. Michael Yee" in "Goodbye, Cruel World" (episode 821) and as "Capt. Yamato" in "The Joker Is Wild" (episode 1104) *Wikipedia:George Lindsey as "Capt. Roy Dupree" in "Temporary Duty" (episode 621) *Wikipedia:Shelley Long as "Lt. Mendenhall" in "Bottle Fatigue" (episode 816) *Wikipedia:Richard Masur as "Lt 'Digger' Detweiler" in "The Late Captain Pierce" (episode 404) *Wikipedia:Harry Morgan as "Maj. Gen. Bartford Hamilton Steele" in "The General Flipped at Dawn" (episode 301) *Noriyuki "Pat" Morita as "Capt. Sam Pak" in "Deal Me Out" (episode 213) and "The Chosen People" (episode 219) *Wikipedia:Leslie Nielsen as "Col. Buzz Brighton" in "The Ringbanger" (episode 116) *Wikipedia:Soon-Tek Oh as "Mr. Kwang" in "Love and Marriage" (episode 320), as "Korean Soldier" in "The Bus" (episode 406), as "Dr. Syn Paik" in "The Korean Surgeon" (episode 509), as "Ralph" in "The Yalu Brick Road" (episode 810) and as "Joon-Sung" in "Foreign Affairs" (episode 1103) *Wikipedia:John Ritter as "Pvt. Carter" in "Deal Me Out" (episode 213) *Wikipedia:Jack Soo as "Charlie Lee" in "To Market to Market" (episode 102) *Wikipedia:Susan Saint James as "Aggie O'Shea" in "War Co-Respondent" (episode 823) *Wikipedia:Richard Lee-Sung as "Cho Man Chin" (episodes 407 and 501), "Sang Nu" (episode 615), "Ham Kim" (episode 723), and other characters (episodes 303, 608, 804, 1007, 1021) *Wikipedia:Patrick Swayze as "Pvt. Gary Sturgis" in "Blood Brothers" (episode 918) *Wikipedia:Jeffrey Tambor as "Maj. Reddish" in "Foreign Affairs" (episode 1103) *Wikipedia:Vic Tayback (episode 412) *Wikipedia:George Wendt as "Pvt. La Roche" in "Trick or Treatment" (episode 1102) *Wikipedia:Larry Wilcox as "Mulligan" in "The General's Practitioner" (episode 520) *Wikipedia:John Orchard as "Ugly John" later appeared as the M.P. Muldoon (episode 813) References Episode 203 credits CNN.com article about Alan Alda and his favorite episodes See also *[[Wikipedia:List of M*A*S*H episodes|List of M*A*S*H episodes]] *Wikipedia:Cross-dressing in film and television External links * *M*A*S*H Timeline *Encyclopedia of Television *Finest Kind - Fan Site w/ News, Episode Guides, Video Clips *U.K. Fan Site w/ Interviews, Episode Guides *Best Care Anywhere - Fan Site w/ Episode Guides, Memorable Moments *TV Tome *Yahoo Groups M*A*S*H email discussion group *Funtrivia quizzes w/Episode quizzes, etc. Category:1970s TV shows in the United States Category:1980s TV shows in the United States Category:CBS network shows Category:Comedy-drama television series Category:Fox Television Studios shows * Category:Medical television series Category:Military television series Category:Period piece TV series Category:Television programs based on films Category:US primetime network series that ran over ten years Category:Seven Network shows Category:Korean War television series Category:1972 American television series debuts Category:1983 American television series endings Category:1970s American sitcoms Category:1980s American sitcoms Category:1970s American comedy-drama television series Category:1980s American comedy-drama television series Category:1970s American medical television series Category:1980s American medical television series Category:Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners Category:American black comedy television programs Category:English-language television programs Category:Military comedy television series Category:Nielsen ratings winners Category:Peabody Award-winning television programs Category:Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series winners Category:Live action television programs based on films Category:Television programs based on novels Category:Television shows set in South Korea Category:Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Category:Television series set in the 1950s Category:Television shows filmed in California M*A*S*H TV series Category:Television series based on adaptations